A new version of Nevermind baby Spencer Elden's child pornography and endangerment lawsuit against Nirvana now claims that album cover photographer Kirk Weddle also shot photos styling the four-month-old baby to look like Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.
Now 30-years-old, the claimant's suit – updated in Los Angeles federal court from his original August 24 filing— newly excavates some distressing journal entries attributed to Kurt Cobain in an attempt at bolstering Elden's argument that the nature of the photographs was intended to be sexual.
The following article contains potentially triggering material. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed a crime and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
The new literature reasserts that Weddle wanted to "trigger a visceral sexual response from the viewer" by initiating "Spencer's 'gag reflex' before throwing him underwater in poses highlighting and emphasizing Spencer's exposed genitals." It now adds the line: "Weddle soon after produced photographs of Spencer dressed up and depicted as Hugh Hefner," without any further elaboration [via Rolling Stone].
Another added section pertains to some disconcerting excerpts from Cobain's journals that were published in 2002 by Riverhead Books, presumably to further Elden's camp's case for pictures having been taken in a salacious manner.
"Undated journals written by Cobain sketch the album cover in a sexual manner, with semen all over it," the new paperwork reads. "In several instances, the journals describe Cobain's twisted vision for the Nevermind album cover, along with his emotional struggles: 'I like to make incisions into the belly of infants then fuck the incision until the child dies.'"
Alongside dropping the band's onetime drummer Chad Channing from the original list of 15 defendants, the new lawsuit also no longer names Warner Music, nor Heather Parry and Guy Oseary (who were previously listed as the managers of Cobain's estate).
Elden is still seeking monetary damages — a minimum of $150,000 USD from each defendant — for the "lifelong damages" he sustained after appearing as a naked infant on the seminal 1991 album cover, as well as requesting that the artwork be changed for all future reissues of Nevermind.
Dave Grohl has some alternate cover ideas, but you could say he's nevermind-ing Spencer's claims: "Listen, he's got a Nevermind tattoo."
Now 30-years-old, the claimant's suit – updated in Los Angeles federal court from his original August 24 filing— newly excavates some distressing journal entries attributed to Kurt Cobain in an attempt at bolstering Elden's argument that the nature of the photographs was intended to be sexual.
The following article contains potentially triggering material. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed a crime and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
The new literature reasserts that Weddle wanted to "trigger a visceral sexual response from the viewer" by initiating "Spencer's 'gag reflex' before throwing him underwater in poses highlighting and emphasizing Spencer's exposed genitals." It now adds the line: "Weddle soon after produced photographs of Spencer dressed up and depicted as Hugh Hefner," without any further elaboration [via Rolling Stone].
Another added section pertains to some disconcerting excerpts from Cobain's journals that were published in 2002 by Riverhead Books, presumably to further Elden's camp's case for pictures having been taken in a salacious manner.
"Undated journals written by Cobain sketch the album cover in a sexual manner, with semen all over it," the new paperwork reads. "In several instances, the journals describe Cobain's twisted vision for the Nevermind album cover, along with his emotional struggles: 'I like to make incisions into the belly of infants then fuck the incision until the child dies.'"
Alongside dropping the band's onetime drummer Chad Channing from the original list of 15 defendants, the new lawsuit also no longer names Warner Music, nor Heather Parry and Guy Oseary (who were previously listed as the managers of Cobain's estate).
Elden is still seeking monetary damages — a minimum of $150,000 USD from each defendant — for the "lifelong damages" he sustained after appearing as a naked infant on the seminal 1991 album cover, as well as requesting that the artwork be changed for all future reissues of Nevermind.
Dave Grohl has some alternate cover ideas, but you could say he's nevermind-ing Spencer's claims: "Listen, he's got a Nevermind tattoo."
